I HAVE watched, and contributed, to lively online debates about the supposed degeneration of news website offerings, when stories like Zayn Malik's split from boy band One Direction can rank high on the story list on digital media.
My answer to this is the media is not the authority on good taste or bad taste. It is our responsibility to provide journalism that can provoke, encourage, cheer, condemn and advocate. But who am I to say: this is suitable for you, and this is not. Who am I to say: we will deliver the news in precisely the content, scope and order we think is right for you.
The wonderful vigour and variety that is human nature guides us in what information is presented to its community. I would be the first to argue the community is always hungry for praiseworthy role models, and I encourage the team to find them. The community likes a sense of justice, and court stories deliver those. Adversarial conflict is interesting - sport provides plenty of that. And crime is frightening, but we want to know more.
Part of an editor's role is to make a decision on what is worth pursuing and, on the odd occasion, my own personal prejudice may come into play. But, mostly, it is about sensing what the community wants to read and, after just about two years, I'm getting the hang of it. Wairarapa has particular tastes, but there is an even broader hunger, which is simply human nature. One wonders why the interiors of fancy properties are so interesting - but it turns out it's popular. Many are compelled to read court stories, and why should that surprise us? Popular TV series include court dramas.
Celebrity and entertainment news has a life of its own. It might be frivolous, but people enjoy reading about it.
